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The future is an unknown quantity. I help to teach tomorrow's Prime Ministers, space explorers, inventors, musicians, CEOs, University Graduates and . . .
I have a responsibility to learn with them and to give them strategies they can use in tomorrow's world. I need to help to develop a love of learning in them so that they might solve those problems my generation can't.
I don't have all the answers, this blog is a reflection of some of the things that have and haven’t worked for me.

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Maths Staff Meeting 3

Another staff meeting filled with great discussion and ideas from Nikki Knight.

Great ideas

Flipper with playing cards

Using cards 'flip' over a card each and either add, subtract or multiply together

Sparkle Box

Place value bingo using tens/ones materials and matching with number words/numbers

Posters with digits, number words and counters for numbers to 20 as a home practice/work activity and reading activity like words flash cards

Aiming warm ups at your mid-high students current knowledge gaps ensuring visual representations for those that aren't up to the gaps you're working on

Working out stages from scenarios

Great conversations to be had here working out what stage students are at.

A good way to test our knowledge of the stages and what the differences are between the two

Looked at the difference between a student that is working well into stage six and able to explain an algorithm using sentences like 'I am exchanging one ten for ten ones and adding it to the ones I already have' compared to a student that might be just at stage six. This student might explain an algorithm using sentences like 'I crossed out the 1 and paid it back to the other column etc.'

Talking through meaningful independent activities

Lots of great websites shared

Talked about the need to be able to 'lock' down for younger children especially to ensure they stay on the game you've set - we will look at this at our next Activboard training

Talking about fractions

Importance of always referring to the whole, especially when starting out eg. half of a square, half of a book, half a packet of lollies

Fractions are essentially different to whole numbers therefore students often have a hard time understanding them

Lots and lots of repetition is important with fractions - base knowledge needs to be concrete before being able to move onto more complex fractions

Talking about what's fair when starting to work with fractions especially young students as they are well aware of what is fair.